Apparatus for rolling flanged sections.



N0. 654,)0. Patented July l7, I900. T. MURRISUK.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FLANGED SECTIONS.

(Application filed. May 23 11909,),

2 Sheets$haet 1..

(no mm.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES No. 654,100. Patented July I7, 1906.

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APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FLANGED SECTIONS.

(Application filed May 23, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

INVENTOR B AMM csam QJWQ WW wmiesszs THOMAS MORRISON, OF BRADDOOK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JULIAN KENNEDY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FLANGED SECTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,100, dated July 17, 1900.

Application filed May 23, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS MORRISON, of Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Rolling Flanged Sections, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In describing my improvement I shall refer particularly to its application in the manu facture of railroad-rails, premising' that it is applicable to steel or iron beams or rails of unequal thickness at different points in its cross-section and that while I have invented. and herein describe a special mechanism for the purpose it may be modified according to the article to be rolled, or other mechanism producing the same result in substantially the same way may be employed.

In rolling steel rails in the manner heretofore practiced the ingot or bloom having been heated to the required temperature is then passed anumber of times between the grooves of the rolls, technically called passes, and is thus fashioned into the desired shape, the operation being rendered continuous by shifting the rail from one pass to another and rapidly feeding fresh ingots or blooms to the rolls.

I have found that the temperature at which steel is worked, and particularly in the finishing-pass, has an important influence on the quality of the finished product. The steel reaches the rolling-mill as an ingot, which having been heated in a suitable heating-furnace is then passed through a blooming-mill and converted into blooms. These blooms are in turn heated in a suitable furnace and then delivered to the rail-mill, where they are rolled into rails. As steel has to be supplied to mills in large masses, in ingots weighing as much as two tons or over, and as these in gots when worked into rails give several rail lengths which by the ordinary practice cannot be finished simultaneously, it follows that every rail cannot be finished at the same temperature, an objectionable irregularity occurs among the different rails, and this is shown in the variable density of the finished steel and is readily determined by microphotography. For facility in working it is necessary that the ingots or blooms enter the rolls at a white heat, or thereabout; but for the best Serial No. 17,680. (No model.)

results in finishing the piece of metal ought to leave the finishing-rolls at a much lower temperature, so that it is desirable that the heat be materially reduced between the intermediate and final rolls to such an extent, if desired, as to amount very nearly to coldrolling; but to effect this cooling in the ordinary method of rolling there would be such a delay between the passage of each rail through the finishing-rolls and the passage of the next rail in succession as to result in a very material loss of time.

The object of my invention is to improve the quality of rolled pieces of metal by regulating the temperature at which they are finished and to cause each of the rails to be passed through the finishing-rolls at areduced temperature by allowing them to cool without interfering with the continuity or rapidity of action of the finishing-rolls. I accomplish this by introducing an open cooling-table on which the rails are passed and which affords an interval in the time of passage from the intermediate to the finishing rolls, during which every individual piece can be brought to the same temperature, that temperature being of the degree which has been found to produce the best results. This is done without interfering with the rapidity and continuity of action of the mill, and it results in improving greatly the product of the mill.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the rolls, feed-tables, coolingtable, and finishing-rolls; and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the feeding mechanism which draws the rails from the feed-rollers to the cooling-table and from the cooling-table to other feed-rollers which lead to the finishing-rolls. Fig. dis a vertical section on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line IV IV of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the rolls.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, 2 represents the threehigh roughing-rolls of a rail-mill. These rolls may be of the ordinary construction and are provided with a feed-table 3, which is preferably vertically movable and may be of the ordinary construction and arrangement. The

metal passes back and forth upon the table 3 until it reaches the last pass of the rolls 2, and from such last pass it is delivered to a separate table 5, having rollers 4. This table 5 is provided with a series of stationary crossbars or supports 6, constituting a cooling-table open above and below, extending, preferably, on an upward incline to and slightly above a second series of feed-rollers 7, which are parallel with the rollers 4 and lead to the finishing-rolls 8. fingers 9, preferably mounted on antifrictionwheels 10, which run on the ways 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

keyed to the shaft 14, which is operated by the motor 15 at any desired interval of time, such interval being the time requisite to cool each rail to the desired degree as the skilled operator may find most efficient.

The operation is as follows: The heated metal is fed to the first pass of the roughingrolls 2 and passes upon the table 3, from which it is fed back through the second pass of the rolls 2, then back to the table 3, and againthrough the rolls in the usual manner and as often as may be necessary to reduce the metal to the desired shape. On the last pass the rail is delivered to the feed-rollers 4, by which it isbrought into the path of the fingers 9, These fingers are then actuated by the motor and their connecting-rods 12 13 and are caused to draw the rail from the rollers 4 to and upon the cross-bars 6 of the cooling-table 5. The rail is allowed to rest in this position, and the fingers 9 are then moved back to their original position. When the second rail comes from the last pass of the rolls 2 to the rollers 4, the movement of the fingers 9 is repeated, drawing the second rail upon thetable 5beside the first rail and pushing the first rail laterally farther on the table. In the drawings the table is shown of a width suitable for supporting five rails of the ordinary thickness; but it may be adapted to receive a greater number, if desired. After the five rails (more or less) have been placed on the table 5 side by side in this manner the sixth or next succeeding rail pushes the others laterally and causes the first rail to drop oif the far side of the table to and upon the feed-rolls 7, which lead to the finishing-rolls, 8, through which the rail is given a single pass. By adjusting the distance of motion of the fingers 9 tothe width of one, two, or more rails by any suitable means of adjustment the period during which the rails remain on the table 5 and the interval of time introduced between the last pass of the roughingrolls and thefirst pass of the finishing-rolls may be regulated as desired without affecting the continuity or rapidity of the rolling operation and the output of the mill. Each rail may therefore be allowed to remain on thetable 5 during a period required to roll five, four, three, or a greater or less number of rails, during which time it is cooled Between the rollers 4 are These fingers are bolted to rods 12, whose outer ends are pivoted to levers 13, 1

throughout all its parts. When the outermost rail has been pushed laterally until it drops from the table upon the feed-rollers 7 and has been carried by them beyond the end of the table, another rail is in like manner pushed upon the feed-rollers, and so on continuously, the interval being regulated by the throw of the fingers and the number of. rails lying side by side on the cooling-table.

The finishing-pass is proportioned so that the work is mainly performed on the head of the rail, and only sufiicient work is done on the flange to prevent the rail from twisting. Preferably from six to eight per cent. of the total reduction of the sectional area per formed on the head and web of the rail is done in this final pass, and, as just stated, a much less reduction is exerted in this pass uponthe flanges. I have found the best results from an interval between the roughing-rolls and the finishing-rolls of about seventy seconds for a rail of seventy-five pounds per yard.

What I claim as my invention is 1. Apparatus for rolling elongated flanged shapes of metal, comprising with thepreliminary rolls, a conveying-table, acooling-table to which the metal is delivered therefrom, means for pushing a series of metal pieces laterallyon said cooling-table, a second conveying-table at the side of the cooling-table, towhich the metal is delivered by the pusher from the cooling-table, and finishing rolls to which the metal passes from the second c0n= veying-table, the arrangement being such that the metal may be given a. temperature suitable fora fine-grained structure on the cooling-table,and then delivered im mediately to the finishing rolls; substantially as de= scribed.

2. Apparatus for rollingelongated flanged shapes of metal, comprising preliminary rolls, finishingn'olls, an intermediate open coolingtable, and means for movingthe metal laterally on the co0ling-t-able,the arrangement being such that the metal may be given a temperature suitable for a fine-grained structure on the cooling-table, and then deliveredimmediately to the finishing-rolls substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for rolling elongated flanged shapes of metal, preliminary rolls, finishing-rolls, a con veying-table, an interme diate open cooling-table comprising stationary bars extending upwardly from the surface of the conveying-table, and a pusher adapted to push the metal pieces on said bars,

the arrangement being such that the metal may be given a temperature suitable for a fine-grained structure on the cooling-table, and then delivered immediately to the'finishing-rolls; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS MORRISON. Witnesses:

G. E. F. GRAY, J. E. MITCHELL. 

